Mitsubishi Heavy Industries EMEA, Ltd. (MHI-EMEA), MHI’s regional headquarters for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, Ltd. (MHIENG), a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, have begun examining the feasibility of applying CO2 capture technologies at an aluminium smelting plant operated by Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), a major aluminium producer based in Bahrain.
In regard to this project, MHI-EMEA, as the main party to the contract, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Alba regarding the feasibility of applying CO2 capture technology. MHIENG will provide the Alba plant with the KM CDR Process™ jointly developed with Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (KEPCO).
When realized, it will be the world’s first application of CO2 capture technology in the aluminium industry.As MHI Group aims to take advantage of business opportunities around the world by expanding the range of applications for CO2 capture technology, this collaboration is highly significant from the standpoint of both an application of CO2 capture technology in a new field, and enhancing MHI Group’s presence in the Middle East.
A signing ceremony was held on January 19, 2022. Attending for Alba was Chairman Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa, CEO Ali Al Baqali, and Chief Power Officer Amin Sultan, with MHI-EMEA represented by CEO Kentaro Hosomi.
Alba Chairman Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa commented: “Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) matters are fronting everything we do in Alba. This MOU will play a fundamental role as we want to be accelerators and embed sustainability considerations in our operations to be more environmentally responsible and inclusive. We are also pleased to partner with MHI Group — a proven leader in carbon capture technology — as we chart our journey in our race to decarbonization.”
MHI-EMEA CEO Kentaro Hosomi, commenting on the conclusion of the MOU, said: “As a market leader in decarbonization technology such as carbon capture, storage and utilization (CCUS), MHI Group is proud to support Alba and the Kingdom of Bahrain in reaching their ambitious sustainability goals. It is partnerships such as this that enable the industry to move quickly on the way to carbon neutrality.”
As one of the leading companies in Bahrain, Alba’s decarbonization efforts will play an important role in achieving the Kingdom’s net zero and renewable energy targets, recently announced by Bahrain’s Prime Minister, H.R.H. Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
MHI Group today is undertaking strategic strengthening of its energy transition business, and the development of a CO2 ecosystem is central to those initiatives. CCUS is garnering attention as an effective means for realizing a carbon neutral society. MHIENG, key players in MHI’s energy transition strategy, by promoting broad adoption of high-performance CO2 capture technology worldwide, will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale, part of MHI’s ongoing commitment to help protect the global environment.
